AIV fodder is a kind of

silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants ( cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...

. The AIV liquid is added to the green fodder to improve the storage. This is especially important during long winters. The process includes adding a dilute

hydrochloric Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid. It is a component of the gastric acid in the digestiv ...

or sulfuric acid to newly stored

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legu ...

. Increased acidity stops harmful fermentation and has no adverse effect on the nutritive value of the fodder or the animals it is fed to. A Finnish researcher of chemistry and agriculture Artturi Virtanen invented the method and named it after his initials (Artturi Ilmari Virtanen). First commercial AIV fodder products were introduced in 1929 and the method was patented in 1932. In 1945 Virtanen became a

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfre ...

laureate in chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodder preservation method" (AIV fodder). Modern version of the AIV liquid consist of 76%

formic acid Formic acid (), systematically named methanoic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid, and has the chemical formula HCOOH and structure . It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in some ants. Est ...

, 5.5%

ammonium formate Ammonium formate, NH4HCO2, is the ammonium salt of formic acid. It is a colorless, hygroscopic, crystalline solid. Reductive amination Acetone can be transformed into isopropylamine as follows: :CH3C(O)CH3 + 2 HCO2− +NH4 → (CH3)2CHNHCHO + 2 ...

, and

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

. The liquid is strongly acidic, thus care is needed in the handling of the liquid. In the early days the green fodder was dropped into a hole dug into the ground and the AIV liquid was poured on top of it. Today AIV fodder is created automatically by the harvesting machinery. During the process the liquid is added to the green fodder. 3000 kg of green fodder requires about 5 liters of AIV liquid. The ready AIV fodder may irritate skin but is not dangerous to the animals it is fed to or humans.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aiv Fodder Fodder Finnish inventions